Natural resources, such as hydrocarbons and water, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations that may be located onshore or offshore. The development of subterranean operations and the processes for removing natural resources typically involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling a borehole at a desired well site, treating the borehole to optimize production of the natural resources, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the natural resources from the subterranean formation.
Subterranean operations may be facilitated by characterizing or obtaining information about the subterranean formation. For example, it may be desirable to characterize fractures within the subterranean formation or to obtain information about various characteristics such as formation temperature, chemistry, or nuclear radiation. However, because the formation may be deep underground and subject to extremes in temperature, pressure, and acoustic vibration, traditional information gathering techniques may not be practical or possible.